Other conditions decisions — 2002

The Board denied the appellant's claim for increased DIC benefits based on adding her stepchild [redacted] as a surviving child, finding that [redacted] did not meet the criteria to be considered a child of the veteran due to his death.

The Board found that the veteran does not have arthritis of the hips, legs, knees and feet. The RO denied service connection for these symptoms as secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disorder.

The VA denied an increased disability evaluation for blindness in the right eye secondary to trauma, currently rated at 30 percent.

The Board found that the veteran's basal cell carcinoma was not incurred in or aggravated by his active military service, nor may it be presumed to have been incurred in such service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and vocational rehabilitation and training.

The Board has determined that the veteran's upper gastrointestinal bleeding secondary to acute gastritis is manifested by intermittent epigastric tenderness and occasional diarrhea, but not by any anemia, vomiting, hematemesis, melena or loss of weight, or incapacitating episodes or recurring episodes of severe symptoms or continuous moderate symptoms. The criteria for a 10 percent evaluation have been met.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral leg disability, finding that the evidence did not support a direct relationship between his current condition and his military service.

The veteran was found eligible for financial assistance in the purchase of an automobile due to his service-connected disabilities, but the appellant is denied accrued benefits as this does not qualify as a periodic monetary benefit.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for left foot and right hip disorders, as there was no evidence of a chronic condition during or after service. The claims for reopening were also denied due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected left eye disability does not warrant a compensable evaluation.

The Board found that the veteran's lung disorder was not incurred in service and is not related to his period of service, including exposure to DDT. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board found that the veteran's Reiter's syndrome was not incurred in service and denied his claim.

The VA denied an increased evaluation for shell fragment wounds of the skull, base of neck and both legs. The veteran's claim was not addressed regarding service connection for a bilateral knee disability or soft tissue sarcoma, chloracne, and porphyria cutanea due to herbicide exposure.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for glomus tumors, as new and material evidence has been submitted. However, the claim remains denied because there is no clear evidence that the glomus tumors are related to his military service or exposure to herbicides.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for genitourinary, gastrointestinal, and skin disorders as they were not found to be etiologically related to service. The claim for PTSD was also denied due to lack of a verified in-service stressor.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current left foot disability, claw toe deformities of the lesser toes on the left foot with pes cavus, was incurred in service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran is statutorily barred from appealing the July 1994 decision to the extent that it denied a claim of service connection for a right leg disability. The issue of increased rating for left arm weakness and SMC based on need for regular aid and attendance or being housebound as a result of service-connected disabilities are also addressed, but the veteran is not entitled to these benefits.

The veteran's increased ratings for incomplete paralysis of the right arm and impairment of the urinary sphincter were granted, while his ratings for impairment of the bowel sphincter and nystagmus remained denied.

The Board granted a 40 percent disability evaluation for the veteran's low back syndrome, effective February 26, 1998. The condition is characterized as severe with symptoms such as chronic low back pain and limited range of motion.

The veteran's death has made the appeal moot, and thus the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this claim.